Chad Sjoquist Obtains Defense Verdict in a Labor Law Case in Supreme Court, New York County

On May 25, 2017, Chad Sjoquist obtained a unanimous defense verdict on behalf of a cooperative apartment building in a Labor Law 240(1) case. The case was tried before Justice Frank P. Nervo in the Supreme Court, New York County.

The plaintiff was a temporary worker for a small painting company that was retained by an apartment owner in our client’s building to repaint portions of the apartment. The plaintiff alleged that he fell from a ladder while sanding a closet ceiling. He claimed lumbar and cervical injuries with the need for a future surgery and initially demanded more than $2 million to settle the case. In addition to his alleged pain and suffering, the plaintiff claimed more than $400,000 in past and future medical expenses.

During the trial, Mr. Sjoquist raised significant questions regarding the plaintiff’s credibility. There were no other witnesses to the alleged accident, and Mr. Sjoquist used inconsistencies between the plaintiff’s deposition and trial testimony to convince a jury that the plaintiff could not prove that the alleged accident occurred or that he fell in the manner that he claimed.